Bostonia!

Over the weekend, I headed to Cape Cod and Boston to explore.  A brief list of highlights, in roughly chronological order:

• Getting to see Elsa and Jim, and meet baby Kate.  I stayed with them on Friday night.
• Poking around Woods Hole, where Jim works, in the afternoon fog.  I had fish and chips at Captain Kidd and got to see some of the ocean research vessels that are based out of Woods Hole.
• The beach! On Saturday we drove/walked to Black Beach, including wading through some pools in the street left over after the previous night's rain.  Beach!  Dead fish! Shells! Rocks! Starfish!
• Successfully finding Lyn and the Riverside T station.  Lyn is my friend David's girlfriend's mom, and she was a great companion for exploring Boston.  And we got to ride the public transportation!
• Freedom Trail.  I gotta say, I think that the Freedom Trail is a great concept, and that other cities should create their own "preferred pathway" through their city's high points.  I mean, the thing about Boston is, it's a big city with loads of cool shit.  And that's great, but for someone like me--someone who's underprepared and easily overwhelmed--it's easy to feel adrift.  So the Freedom Trail creates a cool way for a visitor to see the major points, not get lost, and get oriented for further exploration.
• After walking the Freedom Trail, Lyn and I went back to the Bell in Hand Tavern for dinner.  I had the hot lobster roll, so now I feel that I've completed the Northeastern seafood tour as well (lobster, crab, clam chowder, haddock, mussels.  Is there something I should add to the list?)
• Beacon Hill.  After staying with Lyn and her husband Dean near Wuster (spelled Worcestershire), I headed back into Boston on Sunday to look around a bit more.  While I think the Freedom Trail's a great idea, it was also nice to discover that getting two blocks off the trail was a chance to see a resident's view of the city.
• Chinatown.  Pho for lunch.  Yes please.
• Cambridge.  At Elsa's suggestion, I hunted down Burdick Chocolate after a quick look around Harvard.  Cool town, good chocolate.

Pictures coming soon!